Tales of Symphonia: The Secret of the Angels
by the-key-of-the-twilight
Summary: SPOILERS! This story takes place after the game! (Highest rating!) Hope can really be shattered when no one listens to you, no one loves you, and no one cares. Isn't living without hope worse than dying?
1. Prologue

Tales of Symphonia: The Secret of the Angels

Disclaimer: I do not own Namco and probably never will.

Prologue:

_I wanted a world..._

_Made just for my sister and me..._

_Martel and me... together..._

_Is that... wrong?_

_I just wanted somewhere where the half-elves could stay..._

_Is that really... wrong!_

_But how!_

_How could **he **stop me?_

_I was invincible..._

_Does he really think he's won...?_

_Well, think again, you filthy human..._

_I will make you pay..._

_Why would I ever be wrong...?_

_Why?_

_**WHY!!**_

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That was my prologue. Sorry if it was really bad. This was my first time. Sorry... (by the way, Mithos is saying this)


	2. Chosen Once Again

Tales of Symphonia: The Secret of the Angels

Disclaimer: I do not own Namco and probably never will.

Chapter 1: Chosen Once Again

"What!" the brown-haired swordsman jumped up in surprise, "you're saying that the Yggdrasill Tree is withering?" He hesitated, "Are you serious?"

"Of course I'm serious, Lloyd, now please, calm down," a female half-elf replied. Lloyd's shoulders relaxed a bit. Genis and Colette were there too. Genis sighed.

"Well, it looks like another journey," he said. Lloyd sat on his bed and shook his head.

"What did we do wrong?" he asked. Genis shrugged.

"C'mon guys!! Let's go to the Yggdrasill Tree to see what's wrong!" Colette advised. Raine nodded.

"I agree with Colette. There's no use worrying about it here. We need to see the tree itself to figure out what's wrong," she explained herself, "I hope it isn't another long, tedious journey..." The four of them left Dirk's house and came to Iselia. Regal, Presea, and Sheena were waiting at the front gate.

"It's been a long time," Sheena greeted. Lloyd grinned and Colette smiled. Regal gave a welcome gesture as well. Genis smiled at Presea. "So have you heard the latest news?"

"Yeah, we're going to the Yggdrasill Tree to check things out. Wanna come?" Lloyd invited.

"Sure. Wouldn't miss it for the world," she replied cheerfully.

"I feel like a Chosen again!!" Colette cried gleefully. Sheena smiled, but then frowned. "What's wrong, Sheena?"

"Oh, it's just... speaking of Chosen, I kinda was thinking about Zelos the other day. How he's not able to see this new world. It's all kinda sad..." Sheena said uncomfortably.

"I guess you're right. I wish Zelos were here, too. I miss him.," Lloyd said glumly, "but we mustn't burden ourselves of his death! I don't think Zelos would like that!" Sheena nodded.

"Thanks Lloyd," she said. The group set off to the Yggdrasill Tree, which signaled the beginning of their adventure.

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This is just the beginning. I know it's really boring. I'll try to make it more interesting.


	3. The Withering Tree

Tales of Symphonia: The Secret of the Angels

Disclaimer: I do not own Namco and probably never will.

A/N: This is my third chappie!! I can't believe I've gotten so far.o.O Thank you Blue-Angels-Wings!! You wrote my first review! I feel very happy!! By the way, _italicized _words are thoughts. And the story shall continue...

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Chapter 2: The Withering Tree

Colette gasped. Right in front of her was the withering Yggdrasill Tree. It was bent and dark, its bark splintered and cracked. Dried leaves laid in huge heaps on the dehydrated ground. The tree looked so sad itself, so weak.

"It- it's so horrible," Presea managed to say. Sheena stared in awe and gaped.

"Wha- what happened?" she asked and slowly scanned every part of the tree. Raine sighed and walked up to it. She examined it and made another sigh.

"Almost all of its mana is drained. There's nothing we can do now," she declared.

"But, Professor! We have to do something or else it'll die!!" Colette cried. She stared at the frail tree and tears came to her eyes, "the land will die... We have to try!!" Raine turned around.

"I know that very well, Colette, but..." Raine's voice trailed off into a whisper, "what could've drained such a large amount of mana in such a short time?" Lloyd looked at the Professor.

"Did you say something, Professor Sage?" he asked. Raine quickly shook her head.

"N- no! I just said that... uh... it'll be difficult to restore the tree," she stammered, "all I can say is that restoring the Yggdrasill Tree will be much more difficult than restoring the Linkite Tree."

"Well, duh! Look at the size of that thing! It's supposed to produce all the mana needed!" Lloyd exclaimed. Regal sighed and looked off into the distance. The sky was orange now and the sun was a blazing red. It hid behind the mountains that opened up a valley.

"It's getting dark. We should set up camp here tonight so Raine can study the tree," he advised.

"Good idea," Sheena agreed. When the sky became dark, they had already set up a fire and Regal started to cook. Lloyd laid on the ground and stared at the stars. _I wish Dad were here. I miss you..._ He closed his eyes and dreamt.

in Derris-Kharlan

Kratos sat on one of the steps on the stairs. He watched the empty, lone nothingness swirl about him. He felt so alone. _I should have stayed with Lloyd. I wonder how he is? Was this the right decision? To stay in Derris-Kharlan? _The swordsman thought. He looked up into more nothingness. Then, he felt a slight wind. He heard a voice.

_"Kratos... it has been long..."_ the voice chanted. Kratos looked around.

"Who's there?" he asked. The voice laughed.

_"Kratos... you don't remember me? How amusing..." _the voice spoke again. Kratos calmed down.

"Oh, it's you. You frightened me for a moment," he said, "wait! Why are you here? Shouldn't you be with Yuan and the leftover Desians?"

_"They left me... all alone... here in Derris-Kharlan... I was too much for them..." _the voice hissed.

"I see..." Kratos said. He continued to stare.

_"What's wrong... you lonely...? I'm here... you can talk to me..." _the voice coaxed.

"Nothing," Kratos replied coldly. The voice hissed and disappeared with an echo that ringed in Kratos' ears.

_"They left me... all alone..."_

_"All alone..."_

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A/N: So, what did you think? I tried to make this chapter a little more exciting at the end. I hope to continue this soon!! Please don't flame me!! Oh yeah, and thank you to those who reviewed me!!


	4. Kratos?

Tales of Symphonia: The Secret of the Angels

Disclaimer: I don't own Namco and probably never will.

A/N: Thank you so much Blue-Angels-Wings!! Reviews make me very happy! I've realized that my chapters are very short so I've decided to lengthen them. Thank you to all who have been reading this!!

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Chapter 3: Kratos...?

Lloyd slowly opened his eyes. Genis was kneeling above him, looking down.

"Lloyd! Are you awake?" the boy asked. Lloyd sat up in a daze.

"Wha??" he said idiotically. Genis grunted and folded his arms.

"You're so stupid, Lloyd!!" he laughed. After this comment, Lloyd seemed to snap awake. He got up.

"What did you say?!" Lloyd shouted. Regal, who was cooking breakfast at the fire and tasting the porridge he was cooking, looked at the two and sighed.

"Will you two keep it down?" he pleaded. Lloyd and Genis both stared at Regal and sat down. Sheena and Presea came over. "Did Raine find anything new?" Regal asked. Sheena shook her head.

"Nothing. Nothing at all," Presea also answered. Sheena sat down. Presea followed suit.

"She says that she has no idea what could've drained so much mana out of the Yggdrasill Tree," Sheena explained, "and she says that she doesn't know where we could get enough mana to restore it either." All of them looked at the ground and kept silent. The fire reflected off Sheena's sad eyes. "I don't know if we'll be able to save the tree this time." Then, Colette came running toward them.

"Hurry!! Hurry! We found something!!" she cried. Shortly after she notified them, she sprinted off toward the tree. The group ran after her and came to Raine.

"Professor Sage!! What happened?" Lloyd asked. Raine was examining a piece of burnt paper. She handed it over to Lloyd. The paper had strange letterings marked on it and there was a drawn picture of a dragon. Lloyd eyed the dragon carefully. It was covered in shadow and its blood-red eye stared back him. Its scales looked hard and cracked. Its wings were like an evil darkness, trying to consume the world. "I can't read this writing!" Lloyd said.

"Let me see," Colette volunteered. She peered at it thoughtfully. "Ah! It seems to be written in the Angel Language!" she cried in delight. She studied it some more. The rest of the group patiently waited. Finally, she spoke. "It says:"

"The darkness will come 

_at unexpected times,_

_where light lies far off in the distance..."_

"_One with hate, jealousy, and a corrupted heart_

_shall be sacrificed to the epitome of shadows_

_and may the darkness_

_swallow up his or her heart..."_

"_However, there is a small ray of hope,_

_for the guardian shall say,_

'_Heed that thy shall not give up,_

_for if thy hope dies,_

_the world shall die as well...'"_

"_The darkness lays in the hero's castle,_

_hovering over the e..."_

Colette stopped. "This is where it ends. There's no more." Raine was thinking carefully.

"It says 'the darkness lays in the hero's castle..." she said, "the hero, I predict, should be Mithos. And his castle is at the end of Derris-Kharlan." Genis looked up at her.

"Wow... that was pretty intense..." he commented.

"Yes, I agree... 'one with hate, jealousy, and a corrupted heart shall be sacrificed'. What does that mean?" Raine said. Lloyd answered her.

"Well, I certainly don't think it's one of us," he said.

"Me neither," Genis agreed.

"C'mon! Let's go to the Tower of Salvation already!!" Lloyd cried. The rest followed.

-The Tower of Salvation-

Lloyd and the others ran to the altar in Tethe'alla. Genis paused and screamed.

"What's wrong, Genis?" Lloyd asked.

"Blood stains... there's blood stains!" the half-elf cried.

"Where? I don't see any blood stains..."

"They're all over the ground! Don't you see them?!" Genis protested. Lloyd shook his head.

"C'mon! We don't have all day!!" Sheena shouted. Then, all of a sudden, a figure appeared out of the shadows. And the figure was very familiar, especially to Lloyd.

"You- you can see the blood stains?" the character asked. Lloyd gasped. "Humph. Don't look at me like that..." Lloyd managed to speak.

"Kratos...?"

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A/N: heheheheheheheh... So how did you like that? I wrote longer this time. The prophecy thing really sucks because I made it up myself... all well... please review!! 


	5. Era, The Summon Spirit of Judgment

Tales of Symphonia: The Secret of the Angels

Disclaimer: I don't own Namco and probably never will.

A/N: Hi peoples!! Thankies again Blue-Angels-Wings! I hope this chapter will be pretty long... By the way, I made up a Summon Spirit so please don't be mad!!

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Chapter 5: Era, The Summon Spirit of Judgment 

"Kratos!!" Lloyd shouted and ran over to his long-gone father. Kratos put a hand on Lloyd's shoulders. Raine looked puzzled.

"I don't understand. How did you manage to come back?" Raine asked, "Derris-Kharlan was supposed to be separated for an eternity. How _could _you come back?" Kratos did a smirk.

"Well, I don't exactly know myself. Don't strange events like these tell you that something is definitely wrong?" he asked. Raine nodded.

"The Yggdrasill Tree is dying. We can't find the cause for it. It's very strange," the Professor explained. She looked at the warp point on the altar. "Can we still warp to Derris-Kharlan?"

"We probably can," Kratos said. "Why do you ask?"

"We need to go to Mithos' castle. It says it here on the prophecy," she explained. Raine took out the burnt piece of paper and handed it to Kratos. Kratos scanned quickly over the page and gasped.

"What's wrong, Kratos?" Lloyd asked. The man quickly shook his head.

"N- nothing!" he quickly said. Raine took back the paper.

"It says 'the hero's castle...' that should be Mithos' castle. We should head there for now," she said. The group proceeded up the altar and stepped on the warp point.

"Oh, yes, I made some adjustments on the warp point earlier, so we will warp to Mithos' castle instantly," Kratos said. Lloyd smiled.

"Everyone ready?" Lloyd asked.

"You bet!" Sheena exclaimed. Regal nodded.

"Yes," Presea said.

"Alright! To Mithos' castle!" Lloyd shouted and they disappeared into the warp ring.

-Mithos' Castle-

Lloyd and the others landed in the familiar building. They looked around.

"Well, it still looks the same!" Genis commented. Sheena nodded. Presea felt the walls.

"C'mon! Let's go!" Lloyd shouted.

"Yes, Lloyd is correct. We must hurry," Raine agreed. The group proceeded up the stairs and through the huge doorway. They looked out into the distance and gasped in horror. Off into the distant sky, where Mithos' castle should have been, there was a gigantic dark barrier. Nothing could be seen inside the barrier for shadows swallowed up everything in sight.

"It's horrible!" Presea shouted. Raine shivered.

"This is like the same evil when we saw the Yggdrasill Tree! Make it stop!" Colette cried. Lloyd walked up to the warp signal.

"Does it still work?" he asked. Kratos walked up beside him.

"It seems so," he said. "But where will we be this time if we warp?" Lloyd shook his head.

"I dunno..." Lloyd looked up at the huge dark barrier and sighed, "what's happening?" Genis interrupted.

"Lloyd! Lloyd! Do you hear that?!" he screamed. Lloyd scanned the area.

"Hear what, Genis? I don't hear anything," Lloyd said. Kratos stared suspiciously at the half-elf boy. _He hears it?_ Kratos thought.

"That voice! Don't you hear it?!" Genis protested. Raine put a hand on his shoulder to make him stop.

"I think all these strange events are making him hallucinate and hear things that actually aren't there," Rained explained. Genis freed himself from his sister's grip.

"I'm telling the truth!" he shouted.

"Okay guys. Let's go!" Lloyd exclaimed. The grouped followed him. Only Genis lagged behind. _I know I heard that voice. Why won't anyone believe me? It was a girl's voice... She said, 'Why me? Why?'. I think she was trying to tell me something... _Genis thought. "Let's go, Genis!" Lloyd's voice broke in.

"O-okay! Coming!" Genis called. He ran up to Lloyd and the others and they warped again...

-Off in the barrier-

The group stared blankly at the barrier. The force field was much bigger than it had appeared before. Everywhere bore the stench of death. Lloyd backed up in fright. He was not afraid of the barrier, but of what was inside. His legs shook.

"Wha- what is that thing?!" he cried. Raine saw it as well and covered her mouth with hand.

"I- I can't believe this!" she screamed. Colette winced.

"It evil! Pure evil!" she shouted. Inside, inside the barrier, was the dragon. The humongous dragon Lloyd had seen on the piece of paper. The same terrifying dragon of the dark. The same gigantic dragon engulfed in the darkness. The dragon. The Dragon of Eternal Darkness. Everyone else was too petrified to speak. Only Kratos was able to examine their surroundings.

"There it is!" he shouted, breaking the silence. Everyone looked up.

"I- it's mana!" Genis cried.

"So that how all the mana was drained. Something that large must be fed with loads and loads of mana," Raine explained. Then, the dragon roared. Its screeching roar echoed and rang in their ears. The dragon turned its head slightly toward Lloyd and the group.

"Guys! I think it's gonna attack us!" Lloyd shouted. Genis screamed.

"We're goners!" the half-elf cried.

"Move!" Kratos urged. Everyone started to run back to the warp signal. Genis still stood there.

"Genis, run!" Lloyd screamed. Genis didn't move at all. He just kept staring at the dragon. "Run!" Genis shook.

"I- I can't! I can't move!" he cried. Tears came to his eyes. "I can't move at all!" Smoke revolved around the dragon's snout. It opened its mouth and formed a small beam. The beam grew larger and larger until it was at about the same size as the dragon's head. Genis shrieked.

"I don't wanna die!" Genis screamed.

"Genis!" Lloyd cried. The beam unleashed and exploded.

"Guardian!" Kratos shouted.

"Earthly Protection!" Presea joined in to protect the group from the flying debris. Lloyd shut his eyes tight. _No, not Genis... Please, not Genis..._ He thought. After the debris had cleared, everyone opened their eyes. They all gasped at once at what they saw. Genis was crouched down on the ground, blinking back tears and shivering like a withered tree. And above him was a girl. She was floating and a white aura surrounded her like a goddess. Her eyes had a blank expression, her misty blue hair flowed around her as if it was the wind itself. Her clothes were as white as the clouds.

"_It is alright... I shall protect you... Do not worry..." _She said in a soft, mother-like voice. Kratos stepped out.

"Era! What are you doing here?" he asked.

"_It was foolish of you to come... This place brings nothing but sorrow, hate, and agony... Why did you come to this horrible place...?" _she said.

"The Tree is dying. We were just trying to find the source," Kratos explained.

_"I see... Very well then..." _the girl replied. Genis slowly looked up at the mystical creature.

"You- you saved me! Thank you so much!" he cried. The girl smiled a gentle smile. Sheena gasped.

"Wait! Aren't you Era? The Summon Spirit of Judgment?" Sheena asked. The girl nodded.

_"Yes... I am called that..."_ she said. "_But..."_ However, the dragon's roar interrupted her. _"We must leave... Before it decides to attack again... Hurry..."_ Lloyd nodded.

"C'mon, let's go guys!" he exclaimed. Everyone nodded and headed for the warp signal. Genis paused.

"Will you come with us?" he asked. Era shook her head.

_"No... I'm afraid not... But we shall meet again... I promise you... And do not forget... I shall protect you..."_ she said and slowly drifted away. Genis watched her disappear and ran to Lloyd. However right before he left, he heard that voice again, _'Why me? Why me?'._

_"Why?"

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A/N: I like this chapter! It's longer than the others! I dunno why, but I like creating people like Era. All mysterious and stuff. Anyways, I hope you liked it! See you next time!!


	6. The Pact

Tales of Symphonia: The Secret of the Angels

Disclaimer: I don't own Tales of Symphonia and probably never will.

A/N: Hello! Heh... it's been a while since I updated... Sorry!! Anyways, thank you Huyoshimo-sama for reviewing! I'm very grateful!! Oh, by the way, Genis does something in this fic that might seem impossible... and there is this weird city named Kazumo. I know this fic is bad but I want to continue it anyways...

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Chapter 6: The Pact 

-Kazumo, The City in Grey-

"Sheena, how do you make a pact with a Summon Spirit?" Genis asked.

"Why do you ask all of a sudden?" Sheena replied. Genis hesitated.

"Be- because it's cool!" he said. Sheena eyed him curiously. The boy had never asked her that. This was strange.

"Al- alright..." Sheena agreed, not too positive at what Genis was getting to. The half-elf did a little dance and skipped away, "okay..." Colette strolled out the inn and took a deep breath.

"Ah... it feels so lovely today..." she sighed. Then, she turned around to see Sheena and Genis heading behind the inn. "I wonder what they're up to."

"Now Genis, repeat after me... 'I ask that thou annulst thy pact with Mithos- of whoever the person is- and establish a new pact with me'" Sheena patiently said. Genis looked baffled.

"Uh... I ask that thou and thy with Mithos and thee thou thy... wha?!" he repeated with no success. Sheena slapped her forehead. She got up and started to leave.

"I give up..."

"No, please, teach me more!"

"Oh, Genis, forget it!"

"Please! I beg of you!!"

Sheena sighed and turned back to Genis. "Alright... fine... just pay attention!" Genis nodded quickly.

-Meanwhile, in the inn-

Raine looked around. "Well, this isn't our typical inn now is it?" she questioned. The walls were made out of worn-out wood and black-and-white pictures hung around the room. The bed sheets looked dirty and the floors were dusty. Not much light came in from the scarce windows in the rooms.

"Well, this is why it is called The City of Grey," Kratos explained.

"True..." Raine agreed.

"I- I don't like this place... let's leave soon..." Presea said.

"I must agree with Presea," the Professor said. "But, what do we do?" Kratos thought for a moment and closed his eyes. After a while, he opened them and spoke.

"I think we should try and make a pact with Era," he advised.

"Oh, yes, speaking of Era, you seemed to know her did you not?" Regal asked. The swordsman silently nodded.

"Yes, she was a member of Cruxis as well," he explained. The rest of them gave him cautious looks.

"Era doesn't seem like any ordinary Summon Spirit to me. She speaks as if she were real, like if she has real feelings," Raine observed.

"That is because she does. She does have emotions like real people do. She is really no different from us. Plus, she was designed to be a half-elf that took after Martel and Yuan. That is how she looks, like Martel. And she has a portion of Yuan's somewhat cold personality," Kratos explained thoroughly.

"Hmm... Yuan's personality, eh? That sucks," Lloyd commented.

"Lloyd!" Raine shouted strictly, "this is no time for jokes."

"Yeah, I know... sheesh..." he said half-heartedly. Raine turned back to Kratos.

"Now, what about the pact," she asked.

"Yes, the pact. Well, if we want to use her powers, we would have to make a pact with her. She is a bit stingy so she won't lend it to us for free. She will rarely do anything that doesn't benefit her in anyway. When she is not kind, she can be very selfish," Kratos explained.

"So that's where Yuan's personality comes in."

"Yes, so we will need Sheena to do the pact. We'll need to head to Derris-Kharlan. However, I am not sure if she will cooperate with Era. She is a half-elf after all."

"But does it really matter?"

"I'm sorry. I guess not." Then, all of them heard a voice outside.

"I ask that thou annulst thy pact with Mithos and establish a new pact with me!" the voice shouted. It was Genis' voice. Lloyd laughed.

"What's he trying to do? Sound like Sheena?" he laughed. Kratos chuckled as well. Regal stood up.

"For now, we should tell the others about the plan," he said. The rest of them nodded and went outside.

-Behind the inn-

"You want _me _to make the pact with Era?" Sheena said. Raine nodded. "Er... are you sure that's okay?"

"Don't worry, it should be fine. If Kratos knows Era, we might get along. Plus, Genis and I are half-elves. She'll be more easy to handle that way," the Professor comforted her.

"Okay then, let's go!" Lloyd shouted.

-Derris-Kharlan-

The group proceeded down the steps and right in front of them was Era. Her white cloak mystically hovered around her, and her beautiful face was slightly covered with her misty white veil. Genis was the first to speak.

"Era..." Era turned around.

_"What is it you need...?" _she asked. Sheena stepped out.

"Um... we were wondering if you would make a pact with me," she said. Era pretended to ignore her. "Did you hear me?! I said I would like to make a pact!" Kratos put his hand on her shoulder.

"I know you do not cherish humans, but we beg of you to help us," he said. This time, Era directed her attention to Sheena.

_"Too many people are in my need... what will they do...? It would not be fair..."_ Era said.

"Well, if you just sit here, nothing's gonna happen! Don't you want to make a pact with us?! If you don't, the land will die! This world will die! Don't you care?" Sheena argued. Era listened intently.

_"Thank you... your speech was very reasonable... thank you for being patient with me... as you can see, my pact with Mithos, Yuan, and Martel was broken... I do not trust very easily now..." _she apologized. Sheena calmed down. _I guess she's not that bad after all,_ she thought.

"Now, will you make a pact with me?" the assassin asked. Era nodded.

"_Now... show me your true power!"_

The battle started and Era began with a spell. _"Judgment!"_ Luckily, the team dodged it and continued. Lloyd tried a few slashes on her, but it slightly did any damage. Raine was in the back, healing. Genis was preparing a spell.

"I call upon thee in the land of the dead, to unleash thy fury of thunder! _Indignation!_" the half-elf shouted. Era screamed and fell to the ground. Lloyd and the others took this time to slash away at her. "I'm sorry, Era..." However, after a short period of time, she rose back up and started to cast another spell. Meanwhile, Raine healed the party. A force field appeared in front of Era and she rose higher.

_"May you death be silent! Silence Trial!" _Era screamed. Her staff relocated itself behind Genis' back and he began to rise.

"Genis!" Lloyd shouted. Era prepared for her attack. She stretched out her arm and light gathered. A huge beam struck through Genis and he shrieked. The staff disappeared and Genis fell to the ground, gasping from pain. Raine ran over and began a healing spell. Lloyd looked at the placid Era.

"You'll pay for this!" he shouted and ran head-on toward her. Era closed her eyes and set a barrier around her. _They'll never win... _, she thought.

-A while later-

Lloyd was left panting as hard as a dog. Everyone was exhausted. The items were all used up. Sheena, Regal, Colette, and Presea were down. Era looked pretty exhausted as well.

_"You have fought well... are you sure you do not wish to stop...?" _she advised. Lloyd shook his head.

"We'll never give up!" he shouted. However, right then, Raine fainted and collapsed on the ground. "Professor Sage!" Kratos and Genis were still standing. Era began another spell. _"Judgment!"_ This feat knocked straight at Kratos and left him unable to fight on. Genis fell to his knees.

"Lloyd, please, it's okay. We can make a pact with her next time!" he cried.

"No!" Lloyd disagreed. "We will not give up!" Genis slowly got up and began a spell. Era did the same. _"Thunder Arrow!"_ Lloyd tried the dodge the myriad of arrows, but failed to do so. He was weak and he could not defend himself. He fell to the ground and didn't get up.

"Lloyd!" Genis shouted, with tears in his eyes, "You'll pay for this!" He gathered up all his strength and unleashed a spell . _"Meteor Storm!"_ The raging fire tore at Era. It broke through her now-weakened barrier and the attack hit directly at her. She was finished. Genis had defeated her. Era slowly stood up with her remaining energy.

_"You are strong...young half-elf... now, speak your pact..." _she said wearily. Genis' legs shook and he fell to his knees. His wounds were bleeding and his head felt heavy. He coughed.

"I ask that thou ::cough:: annulst thy pact with Mithos, Yuan, and Martel and ::cough:: establish a new pact with me," he said weakly. Era eyed him cautiously. Little did Genis know, but Kratos was slowly getting up.

_"What wilt thy pact be based on...?" _Era asked. Genis shuddered but continued.

"Using your power, I hope that we will save the Yggdrasill Tree and the world will be at peace!" he shouted, with the rest of his energy. Then, he fainted and dropped to the ground. Era became a little orb of mana and slowly drifted down to Genis' hand. Kratos walked up to the unconscious boy. A kendama had formed right beside him. It was a light, soothing blue and it was in the shape of a cross. A glistening crystal was attached to it.

"_Genis, always remember that I... shall protect you..."

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_

A/N: Heh, see! Genis makes a pact which is nearly impossible, but whatever! Please review, but please no flames!;; I wonder if I should continue this story...


	7. Resurrection

Tales of Symphonia: The Secret of the Angels

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia and probably never will.

A/N: Thankies so much Mablung Elensar and Yukiidoe! I'm very grateful! Yeah... I'm still continuing this story. By the way, Zelos is in this story (um... how should I put this... he's not exactly conscious). Yea... I think that this story is very far from finishing. Oh well. Read on if you feel like it.

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Chapter 7: Resurrection 

-Mizuho-

Genis slowly opened his eyes. His mind was blurry and the light was blinding. He saw Lloyd and he turned around.

"Genis! You're alright!" he shouted with glee. Genis tried to get up, but he fell back on the bed again with no success. Raine rushed over and hugged him.

"Oh! I was so worried about you! Are you alright? Do you hurt anywhere?" she asked, caring deeply of her little brother. Genis flushed of embarrassment.

"Raine, stop that!" he protested. Raine felt his temple and laid him gently on the bed.

"You see, we need to go to the Tower of Salvation and you're too weak to come with us," she explained in a mother-like way. Genis sat up after this rejection.

"What?! You mean I can't go? But that's not fair!" he protested. Raine sighed.

"Listen to me. You need your rest. Please," she coaxed. Genis still sat up. "Please..."

"No! I'm going to go, no matter what you say!" he shouted. The half-elf got out of bed and quickly changed. Raine sighed.

"It's okay Professor Sage, he can come along," Lloyd said. Genis smiled.

"See, Lloyd said I could come along!" he said. Raine did a small smile.

"I guess so, but be careful," she advised. Lloyd and Raine started to leave the room.

"C'mon! Hurry up Genis! Everyone else is waiting!" Lloyd shouted.

-The Tower of Salvation (again ::sweatdrops::)-

Lloyd and his group quickly rushed to the Tower of Salvation.

"Why are we coming here anyways?" Genis asked.

"Era told us to meet her in the Tower of Salvation," Kratos replied.

"Why?"

"I'm not sure..."

The two stopped in front of the entrance.

"What's wrong, you two?" Lloyd asked. Kratos looked at Genis.

"After you made your pact with Era, she gave you this," Kratos said and pulled out the misty-blue kendama, "she also said, 'Remember... that I... shall protect you...'" The swordsman handed over the cross-like weapon to Genis and the half-elf curiously stared at it.

"It- it's a kendama... a really pretty one," he observed.

"It is Era's Gift,"

"Thanks, Kratos..."

Lloyd grew impatient. "Are you guys gonna come or what?!" Genis quickly ran up to him.

"I'm coming!" And all of them went in the entrance.

-_Inside_ the Tower of Salvation-

The group walked in a heard a voice.

_"Your friend... what do you think of him...?" _the voice asked.

"What friend?" Lloyd questioned. There was a pause.

_"Zelos..." _That name shocked Lloyd entirely. Sheena trembled. She never wanted to hear that name again. Ever since he died, she had always felt that a part of her died as well. She never wanted to think back on his death, how he was suffering and none of them ever noticed. She didn't want to ponder of how mean she always was to him. Lloyd looked at Sheena and her teary eyes. She was crying in her heart.

"Zelos... he was a good friend, an ally, our dear friend..." Lloyd tried to say, but could barely stop his tears as well.

_"I see... tell me more..."_

"Well... because of his care-free attitude, we never knew the real him and how he was suffering..." Lloyd could tell that Sheena was about to cry. Everyone looked glumly at the ground. Genis spoke.

"He was really annoying sometimes that I wish he would go away, but I didn't want him to _die_..." he said.

"His death has affected us all greatly. We do not wish for anymore losses," Presea stated.

_"I see... now, which one of you... cares about him the most...?"_

Everyone looked at Sheena. The assassin looked up and was shocked.

"What? Me? What gave you that idea?" she cried. Presea looked up at her.

"It is because his death has affected you the most out of all of us," she said, "it is only right that you deserve this title." Sheena, teary-eyed, stared at the little girl.

"Thank you, Presea..." she said and stepped out.

_"Sheena...pact-maker... it is odd that you... would ever care for such a fool..."_

"True, he is a fool, but deep down, he's still a good person! He died so Seles could be free! He wanted to show how much he cared! He wanted Seles to be happy! Don't you understand?!" the assassin cried. Tears streamed down her face. Everyone watched her in shock.

_"There are not many people who would... care for him... like you and I..."_

"Who are you?" Sheena asked. Then, a blurry image came into view and slowly drifted toward them. The image cleared, and it was... it was Era. Sheena gasped at what she was holding. In her arms... in her arms... was Zelos. Sheena could barely believe her eyes. _No, he's dead... His body must have disintegrated by now...,_ she thought. However, it was really Zelos, or more detailed, his body.

"Zelos?!" Lloyd shouted.

_"After he died, I preserved him in some of my mana... I did not know what to do with him..." _Era said in a soothing voice. Lloyd stared in awe,

"Is- is he alive?" he stammered.

_"If thee wants him to be..." _she replied. Sheena became angry.

"Why didn't you tell us this before?!" she cried. Era slightly bowed.

_"It is my duty... to judge thee... for I am the Summon Spirit of Judgment... I do not merely tell... but I read the hearts of thee..." _She said in her mysterious tone-of-voice. _"I have heard your speech... Zelos... he shall be revived..."_

The body slightly lifted and light gathered around it. Zelos' wings appeared underneath him and then disappeared. Angel wings appeared on Era's back as well. Era chanted a few angel verses

"What is she saying, Colette?" Lloyd asked.

"She's saying... she's saying...

"_On behalf of Martel,_

_Mother of All,_

_I grant thee another chance,_

_Another chance to breathe,_

_Another chance to be free,_

_Another chance...another chance... to love..._

_Please... Mother Martel..._

_Grant me thy strength...and please show mercy..._

_I call upon the trial! Come and restore!"_

Nothing happened at first. There was complete dead silence. The light around Zelos had disappeared. Everyone thought that it hadn't worked. But a gasp of air from Zelos proved them wrong.

"Is he- is he really alive?" Lloyd asked. Era nodded solemnly and handed him over to Sheena. Sheena could barely hold him up in the midst of her state. She could not believe it. _Zelos is... alive... I'm holding him right now_, she thought. Lloyd and the others ran up to her.

_"However, the process of resurrecting is not an easy job... he will undergo unbearable pain for the next few days... make him rest and he will not be able... to fight until he is well..." _Era carefully explained.

"I- I understand," Sheena stammered. Right then, Zelos opened his eyes a little. They were teary and sad. _It must be the pain_, Sheena thought. She put her hand on his cheek to comfort him.

_"Take care..." _Era bid farewell and became a hint of mana. She traveled to Genis' hand as before.

"Let's go," Sheena said while bringing Zelos closer to her. Zelos closed his eyes and went back into unconsciousness. They left and the rest followed. Only Genis turned around and saw something he could not believe. The bloodstains were there again, but that wasn't all. A little girl sat there, crying and bleeding. _I've seen her somewhere before... I know it! _, the half-elf thought. Then, the girl looked up at Genis and disappeared. He was frozen for a while, but then quickly caught up with the rest of the group. And he thought,

_Who was that girl...?

* * *

_

A/N: Wow... this is my seventh chapter. I've never thought I would get this far! Yes, perhaps you may be wondering whom Genis has been seeing (and hearing ::hint::hint::) I'll reveal her identity sometime later... (yes, she is my made-up character, so don't be mad!) Bye for now and please review!


	8. Forgiven

Tales of Symphonia: The Secret of the Angels

Disclaimer: I do not own Namco and probably never will.

A/N: Hi everybody! Thank you so much Huyoshimo-sama and Mablung Elensar for the wonderful reviews! Thank you all!! Can you believe it? This is my eighth chapter! I'm sooooooo proud of myself. In this chapter, there's going to be some Sheelos, so bear with me! I'm also using a few bad words that Zelos uses, so sorry! Well, have fun!

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Chapter 8: Forgiven

-Mizuho-

It was a dark and cold night. The stars were bright and the moon shone beautifully. Lloyd, Colette, Genis, Regal, and Presea were outside. They looked up at the lovely stars and sighed.

"They're so beautiful! I just can't stop looking at them!" Colette shouted with glee. Lloyd smiled. _I'm just happy that she's happy, _he thought.

"I wish Raine was here to see this…" Genis said, "she's missing so much!" Regal walked up to the half-elf.

"Remember, Raine has to tend to Zelos and so does Kratos," Regal explained, "Sheena's in there, too, to comfort him." The half-elf did a smirk.

"Aha! I knew they had something for each other!" Genis grinned triumphantly. Regal laughed. Presea smiled. Everyone else started to chuckle. Colette, however, broke the laughter.

"Wait! How could we be laughing at a time like this when Zelos is suffering?" the blond said.

"You're right," Lloyd nodded, "we'll save laughter after he's better."

-Inside Chief Igaguri's Place-

(Zelos' POV)

It hurts… but why…? Did I do something wrong? Damn! What's wrong with me? It burns… Ah, crap! It really hurts now! Arghh! But why? Did she punish me because I betrayed those dorks? But those dorks… saved the world… I can't call them dorks… they're… they're… heroes…

(Regular POV)

Sheena sighed in relief as Zelos' fever went down a bit. The Chosen mumbled at bit, but then settled down. Kratos was sitting in the corner and watching. Raine came over and put a damp towel on Zelos' temple.

"How is he?" Raine asked. Sheena was silent for a while and then sighed.

"His fever has just settled for a while, but his condition is no better," she said glumly. Admitting to herself that Zelos was, indeed, no better, she held the boy's hand tighter. His fingers were so cold. She could've mistaken him dead if it was not for his labored breathing. His face was pale like a ghost and had dark shades under his eyes. Then, his lips moved.

"Sh- Sheena…" Zelos breathed, so quietly that the assassin could barely hear him. She jumped up.

"Ze- Zelos!" she shouted in shock, "do you need anything?" He did not answer at first, but breathed out 'water'. Sheena turned to Raine quickly. "Get some water, please!" Raine nodded and did her task promptly. She handed over the cup of water to Sheena. "Thank you…"

Sheena tried to make Zelos sit up a bit. Raine made the boy's head rest on Sheena's chest. The assassin blushed slightly. _No! Why am I blushing?_ , she thought and shook her head. Sheena carefully brought the cup of water to his blue lips. He drank very slowly, but Sheena was patient. Later, she set the bowl aside. She felt Zelos' fingers grow warmer. Raine gasped.

"I'm sorry, Sheena, but it's Genis' bedtime right now!" Raine said, "would it be okay if I left you here?" Sheena nodded. The Professor scurried out the door. Kratos stood up.

"Well, do you need any more uses of me?" Kratos asked. Sheena hesitated for a moment, but then shook her head. Later, the swordsman left. Sheena and Zelos were left alone. The assassin stroked the boy's hair and smiled.

"You will get better…" she whispered in his ear. He nudged closer to her. She sighed and gently kissed him on the cheek. Sheena held him close and drifted off to sleep.

-The next morning- (by the way, I have no idea where Lloyd and the rest of the people slept…)

Sheena woke up on Zelos' mattress. She was covered up with a blanket. She suddenly gasped and sat up.

"Zelos?! Zelos?!" she cried and looked around frantically. Then, she found Zelos in the corner, putting back on his usual clothes. "Zelos?!" The young man looked at her and smiled.

"Hey hunny! Good mornin'!" he said. Sheena gasped.

"Are- are you well enough to stand up?" she asked. Zelos looked at her puzzlingly.

"What do you mean 'are you well enough'? I feel great!" the Chosen said and stretched. Then, he heard someone weeping. He looked down and saw Sheena covering her face with her hands. "Whoa! What's wrong, hunny? Did I upset you?" She didn't reply. "Why are you crying?"

"Who's crying? I'm not crying!" the assassin cried. She wiped her tears on her sleeve and looked up at the young man. "I'm just so- so happy that you're better. I- I was so worried about you." Zelos flinched.

"Whoa there! You're saying that _you _were worried about me?" he said, "after all the times you hit me and slapped me, you were worried?" The assassin didn't reply. "Fine. Be that way." He stretched his arm out for her. Sheena looked up and saw those gleaming blue eyes again. She smiled. _I don't know why I'm so happy to see those eyes again…, _she thought. Sheena took his hand and both of them walked out the door. Lloyd and the others were waiting.

"About time you guys came out!" Lloyd said. Sheena blushed.

"How did you know that Zelos was awake?" she asked. Presea spoke up.

"It is what someone would call, eavesdropping," the young girl told Sheena. The assassin gathered up her anger.

"Lloyd! That's not funny!" she shouted. Lloyd did a smirk. Kratos couldn't help but chuckle.

"Anyways, where should we go now?" Colette asked.

"I think we should go to Kazumo to restock on items. We did exhaust our supply when fighting Era," Raine replied. Genis looked at Zelos.

"Speaking of fighting, Zelos can't fight until he's much better, right?" the half-elf said. Raine nodded. Zelos whined. The group made their way toward the exit. Suddenly, Zelos stopped and stared at the ground.

"Oh, yeah. Um… do you really think it's okay? You know, to travel with you guys again? I mean, I did…" he started to say, but Sheena cut him off.

"Zelos, please, don't be stupid! We know the reason why you did that! Sure it was selfish, but it doesn't matter now! All that matters is that you're alive and breathing!" she protested. The Chosen grinned.

"Sounds like you took the words from Lloyd's mouth," he laughed. Sheena continued.

"I forgive you… and everyone does too, so please, take this seriously," she said. Zelos looked at her and sighed.

"Alright then."

"Thank you."

"No, thank _you…"_

Sheena laughed at that comment. Lloyd signaled for them to leave. Little did the rest of them know that the assassin and the Chosen walked out, hand in hand.

* * *

A/N: Okay, so that was a little more Sheelos then I expected. However, I like Sheelos and thought this was the best chapter to put it in. Sorry if you didn't like it. Anyways, I'll be working on the next chapter! See you! 


	9. Tsumaru

Tales of Symphonia: The Secret of the Angels

Disclaimer: I don't own Namco and probably never will.

A/N: Thank you so much Mablung Elensar for your encouraging review! Also, I am very grateful to Blue-Angels-Wings for emailing me. Thank you very much! This is my ninth chapter and probably my favorite. My character appears here. I've tried to make her have some flaws, but if you have ever tried making a character, it is very hard to make a flaw. Anyways, I hope you enjoy this! If you feel my character is too perfect or you dislike her, feel free to tell me. Enjoy!!

* * *

Chapter 9: Tsumaru

-Kazumo-

Everything was destroyed. Everything. Nothing was left expect for a few rotting corpses. Only flickers of flames were left. Ash, dust, and debris were everywhere. There was nothing left. Not a living thing left. The houses were gone. The roads were so scraped that they did not exist anymore. Fire could be seen at a distance, its smoke covering the sky in darkness.

"I- I can't believe this!" Lloyd stammered. Kratos flinched. Colette started to cry.

"How come everywhere we go, there's always misfortune!" she cried. Lloyd held her close to comfort her. "It's just not fair! It's not fair!" Kratos walked toward an area where a house should have been. He examined a rotting corpse.

"It's the work of a Serpent, I suppose," the swordsman said. Raine winced.

"You- you don't mean one of the five Serpents, do you?" she asked nervously. Kratos nodded. The Professor gasped. "But- but I thought it was only a myth."

"Humph! Everything seems like a myth when things are perfect. Only when conditions are bad, people begin to wonder," Kratos said, "it is not only a myth."

"What do you mean, five Serpents?" Lloyd asked. Raine turned to him.

"I'm sorry, but this is a bad time to explain. We need to take care of our conditions right now," she said. Lloyd nodded. The group began looking around at the debris. Raine was thinking and examining the destroyed houses. Then, Kratos walked up to Lloyd.

"Lloyd, I've been wanting to ask you this," he started.

"What?" Lloyd replied.

"What do you think of having a 'sister'?"

"What! A sister? No way!"

"I see…"

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, forget I asked…" The swordsman walked away.

Meanwhile, Genis and Presea were looking at some dead corpses.

"These are scary, don't you think?" the half-elf asked. The girl nodded. Genis thought of the girl he had seen in the Tower of Salvation. _I wonder if she had anything to do with these Serpents, _Genis thought. He stared into the foggy air and sighed.

"Whoever has done this shall pay," Presea said. Genis looked at her and then smiled.

"Yeah!"

-Later, the group gathers together-

"Did any of you find anything?" Raine asked.

"Besides ugly corpses, burnt-down houses, and nothing?" Zelos said. Sheena hit him on the back. "Ow! What was that for?"

"That was for being an idiot!" Sheena replied. The Chosen whined.

"There's nothing left here. We might as well go to Ozette. I hear it has been rebuilt and we can use the shops again," Kratos said.

"That's good. We might as well settle there," Raine said and headed toward the exit.

"_Who's there?"_

All of them turned around and set their eyes on a female. She was standing on a rock, with her two swords in a battle position. Her short, brown hair drifted in the breeze, her hazy blue eyes stared down at them.

"I said, 'Who's there?'" the girl repeated impatiently. Her light-blue jacket blew in the wind and her skirt was dirtied. She was panting and the headband she wore around her head traveled with the air. Kratos stepped up.

"We mean you no harm. We were just investigating the leftover debris. That is all," he said sternly. The girl glared at him and laughed.

"Well, well, if it isn't Kratos, our little traitor," she replied, "how sad it is to see you with these fools!" Lloyd's anger grew.

"How dare you call us fools!" Lloyd shouted, "we saved the world! If we hadn't you wouldn't be here!"

"Oh yeah! Because of you, my home was destroyed!"

"What?"

"No one understands…"

"No one understands what?"

"All you did was kill Mithos, the one who was going to save the half-elves!"

"What? He was going to destroy everything! What's wrong with you?"

"Why you little-"

"Stop!" Kratos cried and the girl stared at him with fearful eyes. "Don't argue any further!" Her eyes became watery and her vision blurred.

"Fine! Be that way! I see! I can't believe even my own 'father' would reject me! I see the way it is!" she said with scorn and then turned to Lloyd, "you're son is so pathetic! You think that _he _can save me? You've disappointed me!"

"Tsumaru! Stop this nonsense at once!" Kratos shouted like Lloyd had never seen him before, "you have nowhere to stay now so you should come with us!" _Tsumaru… so that's her name, _Genis thought. _She looks a lot like that girl I saw in the Tower of Salvation… _The girl looked suspiciously at the half-elf.

"A half-elf is with you?" she asked, "that's… not right…"

"Tsumaru!" Kratos once again commanded. Tsumaru put down her weapons and looked at the ground and obediently followed Kratos. The group left for the entrance but all kept a sharp eye on the strange girl. Kratos put his arm comfortingly around her. "It's alright… you'll be alright…" he cooed. Tsumaru was quietly crying, Genis could tell. However, then, she crackled an evil laugh. Everyone stared at her in shock.

"None of you know… true pain… or true loneliness… " she whispered in such a small voice that it was taken away by the wind.

* * *

A/N: Well, that's the end of this chapter. I'm sorry, I'm going to be delaying update dates. I'm not allowed to go on the computer as much anymore, so my time is limited. If you have any comments of my character (Tsumaru) please review or e-mail me!! 


	10. Forever Shadows

Tales of Symphonia: The Secret of the Angels

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia and probably never will.

A/N: Thank you everyone for the reviews! Wow, it's been a LONG time since I updated. I've been very busy lately, but hopefully I'll have lots of time to update over Winter Break ::smiles::. Anyways, thank you again for those who are still reading this!

Chapter 10: Forever Shadows

* * *

There was a little child in a closet. Everything was black except for the little streak of light coming from the door. The child was crying and was blindfolded. A rough voice called from outside. It was muffled, but anyone with ears could tell the voice was shouting in anger. The child cried harder and whimpered, but looked up. The door was wrenched open and a large man stood at the doorway. He stared at the child like a vicious wolf to an innocent rabbit. The child could not see for the child was wearing a blindfold. It was not a blindfold that the child wished to wear. It was a blindfold that was forced upon her face. "I am blind… And I shall be blind forever…" 

-Ozette (In the rebuilt inn)-

"Aren't you happy Presea? Ozette is rebuilt!" Genis cried cheerfully. Presea turned around and smiled at him.

"Yes, I know, it's great! I'm so happy!" the girl shouted with glee. Seeing her smile made everyone relax.

"You know, seeing you smile like that makes me feel nothing ever went wrong!" Colette stated. Then, they all started laughing. That is everyone, except for Tsumaru. She sat in a corner with her eyes set on the half-elf boy. _How could he be so happy? _, she thought. Their laughter angered her. She couldn't stand it; the laughter, the happiness, the unfairness. _How can **they **be so happy? It's not fair! _More thoughts angered her. She clenched her teeth. The laughter of Lloyd and his friends continued. Without knowing it, she spat out,

"Shut up all of you!" Everyone stared at her. Realizing what she had just did, she quickly got up and headed for the stairs. Kratos grabbed her arm. Tsumaru tried to set her arm free, but Kratos managed a tight grasp. She turned back at him and gave him a vicious glance.

"Apologize now!" Kratos shouted. The stubborn girl continued her glance of hatred.

"I'm sorry! Sheesh!" She cried and ran violently up the stairs. Kratos took another look at her and turned to the rest. Colette lowered her head. Was it all her fault?

"I'm so sorry. Did I make her go away?" she said timidly. Kratos did a firm shake of his head.

"No. You did nothing. Don't let her bother you. She just has some problems. That's all; don't worry about her," the swordsman told her. Now, it was Genis' turn to ask a question.

"Does she hate me? She always looks at me like she wants to kill me or something. It makes me nervous," the half-elf confessed.

"Don't worry. It's nothing," the man answered again. The half-elf sighed.

"Urgh! I hate it when she does this! She just gets angry so we'll pay more attention to her! See! Look, she's made all of us this grim! She just wants attention that's all! Why did we even bring her along?" Lloyd protested.

"Heh. Lloyd's right. The girl's annoying. Bet she just wants pure attention," Zelos agreed.

"Oh yeah? Then why doesn't the **all great and mighty Zelos **go and accompany her?" Sheena joked. She smirked at Zelos. He grunted back.

-In Tsumaru's room-

"Everyone's so stupid. No one cares about me. Humans are all the same; even Kratos. In the end, only the strongest survive in this world. Not those stupid humans. The real superiors are the ones that survive," Tsumaru murmured to herself. The night was fresh and the cool breeze blew in from her window. Her curtains swayed in the soft drift. _Humans are so stupid… _Her thoughts echoed inside her mind. They wouldn't stop. She jumped off her bed and walked to her window. She cupped her head in her hands and looked out into the stars.

The stars were like holes in the universe. That's right, holes. There was a myth that the sun was behind the midnight sky and only its light could shine through the holes of the sky. She was a hole as well. In the world, she is the only one that is incomplete. She is empty. She is the outcast. Except, in Tsumaru's world, she is a lone star. There is no one else to guide her. She was alone.

Her eyes have lost the ability to see happy things and beautiful nature. Her ears have lost the ability to hear laughter and cheer. Her face has lost the ability to form a smile. She was lost. She was lost in her own world. She was gone and never to return. She fell and no one was kind enough to stretch out an arm to help her back up.

As Tsumaru thought of this, she continued to stare at the stars. She saw the luminous moon in its beautiful glow. _Mother… Mommy… _The moon was the mother of the stars. Now, however, Tsumaru has no mother and will never have another one. She watched the sky become darker and darker, just like she had. Darker and darker, until it couldn't be seen anymore. Tsumaru felt the same. She was not only becoming darker and darker; she was also fading. And she will continue to grow darker and darker, fader and fader and disappear into the shadows, unless one reaches out for her…

* * *

A/N: Well, that's the end of this chapter! It's not so good, but I just wanted to add a few more things to my character. However, I thought that reading this would be boring. I hope I'll think of something more exciting to put in the next chapter! 


	11. The First of Five Serpents

Tales of Symphonia: The Secret of the Angels

Disclaimer: I do not own Tales of Symphonia and probably never will.

A/N: Hi everyone! I FINALLY updated! I've been sooooo BUSY!! Thank you Mablung Elensar for your review! In reply, I will try harder to make my chapters longer, but my time is usually limited so I don't write a lot. Oh, yes, and thank you Huyoshimo-sama, my Tales of Symphonia school buddy, for reading this! And yes, Heimdall is rebuilt as well, just like Ozette. Well, I'll try and make this chapter a little more interesting…

* * *

Chapter 11: The First of Five Serpents

"Breakfast's ready!" Raine shouted as she set the table. Lloyd, Genis, and Colette came down the stairs and stared at her like she was crazy. Genis smirked at his food.

"Are you sure this is edible?" he asked pointing at the lump of food on his plate.

"Of course it's edible! I tried my best!" she replied.

"Well, I just hope 'your best' is good enough."

"Genis…" The half-elf reluctantly sat down and stared at his plate. Lloyd did exactly the same. Then the others, except for Kratos and Tsumaru, came down. The others, just like Lloyd, Colette, and Genis, stared down at their plates in silence.

"Er… This is breakfast?" Zelos asked unwillingly.

"Um… I do not wish to be rude, but what is it?" Regal stammered.

"It seems to be... omelet," Presea replied.

"I see…" Sheena gulped. Colette looked around at the grim faces of her comrades.

"Now come on! I don't think it's that bad! Raine tried her hardest and I think she deserves our gratitude!" Colette protested and Raine looked so happy.

"Oh thank you, Colette!" The Professor said. Colette smiled. However, that smile disappeared once she took a bite out of the so-called omelet. "How is it, Colette?"

"Oh, it's great… Yeah… it's good…" she nervously said, "I think I need to go to the bathroom now." The blond girl got up from the table and ran to the bathroom.

"Heh… It's not like I don't like your cooking, my glamorous beauty, it's just… er… I have something else to do," Zelos said and with that, he escaped. The rest of them took their seats. Regal sat right next to Lloyd.

"I almost feel sorry for Raine…" Regal whispered in Lloyd's ear. The swordsman nodded.

"Yeah, me too…" he whispered back. Then, there was a lot of noise coming from the stairs.

"You're not the boss of me! I can do what I want!" a girl's voice was thundering. _It must be Tsumaru…,_ Genis thought. "Leave me alone!" Tsumaru ran down the stairs while Kratos followed behind.

"I want you to apologize to them for ruining last night and right now!" the swordsman shouted behind her.

"Does it look like I care? No!" she cried and furiously sat down in a chair next to Genis. The half-elf stared into her angry eyes and shivered. The tomboy sighed and stared at the limp food on her plate. "You call this food? What the heck is this?!" She violently picked up her plate and got out of her seat. "I'll fix this up…" Kratos sat next to Raine and sighed.

"I'm sorry. She's hard to handle. Please don't take the things she says to heart," the man said. Raine shook her head.

"No, it's alright. I understand. I know my cooking isn't good anyways," she replied. Then, the stubborn girl reappeared with an omelet-looking omelet on her plate. She sat down and took a bite, while everyone else continued eating his or her awful omelets. Genis watched her intently.

"Hey, what are you looking at?" Tsumaru asked and Genis almost jumped.

"Um… well…"

"Spit it out, will you?"

"Um… you cook good…"

"Oh really?"

"Yeah, really… I was amazed…"

"Hmph… when I was little, I had to cook for myself…"

"Oh, I see…" Genis was quiet for a moment, but then a question popped into his mind. "What about your parents? Didn't they cook for you?"

"My mother died when I was very young and my father… my father…" She set down her fork and stared down at the table. "He's… none of your business…" Genis became perplexed, but apologized immediately. "It's alright… don't worry about it…" she replied. The half-elf stared in amazement. She seemed so nice now. Maybe she wasn't so bad after all.

"Genis! Eat already!" Lloyd shouted. Genis quickly nodded and did what was told. After breakfast, the group (including the absent Colette and Zelos) went to Nature's Kitchen to stock up on healing items and food.

"Where should we go now?" Raine asked. Kratos thought for a minute.

"I think what we should do now is to track down the Five Serpents. We need to destroy them to be able to destroy that Dragon of Eternal Darkness. I suppose that these Serpents are the supports," the swordsman replied.

"Wait, what are the Five Serpents? You never told us about them," Lloyd said.

"I suppose Tsumaru can explain them better," Kratos faced the girl, "can't you?" Tsumaru looked up and began to explain.

"There was once a legend about a forlorn city whose people were the worst of them all. The legend says that these people each possessed five things. The five things were: Hate, Jealously, Want, Prejudice, and Sorrow. One day, the city vanished, or so it says. However, these five characteristics still lived on and it is believed that these spirits still possess the hearts of some people," the girl explained. Lloyd thought, _She thinks she knows everything. _

"And what is this city exactly?" Zelos asked. The tomboy kept silent. "What? Did I say something wrong?" Sheena sighed.

"Let's go," she said as she dragged Zelos away. "We might as well train for now." The rest followed, however, Tsumaru stayed behind. Genis stopped and examined her.

"Are you okay?" the half-elf asked. The girl nodded.

"I'm fine. It's nothing."

-Ymir Forest-

"Wow. This is just _wonderful _training," Lloyd said sarcastically while dodging the blow of the Storm Claw. He came back with a "Rising Falcon" and got rid of it easily. "These monsters are so easy!" Tsumaru ran up to a Boar and stabbed it with one of her swords and ended it with a "Fierce Demon Fang". After the fight ended, they sat down and ate sandwiches Genis had made.

"Well, can you think of anywhere else better to train?" Sheena asked Lloyd. He shook his head. "I thought so." Then, she turned to Tsumaru. "Hey, I just noticed, but you use two blades, too. Isn't it hard?" The girl just dully shook her head.

"Wow. She sure talks a lot…" Zelos said mockingly. Then, there was a scream.

"What the heck was that?" Lloyd said.

"I don't know. It sounded like a scream," Raine replied. Then, a little girl came running toward them. She had short green pigtails tied with dainty pink ribbons. Tsumaru gasped at the sight of the girl. _She looks just like Kara… _

"Help! Someone help me, please!" the girl screamed. A Boar was after her.

"Leave this to me…" Presea said and attacked the Boar with her axe. It was easily felled. "Are you alright?" The little girl clutched onto Presea's clothes.

"Thank you so much! Thank you! I don't know how to repay you!" she cried.

"As long as you're alright," the pink-haired girl said. The little girl wiped her tears and faced the others.

"I owe all of you so much. My name is Kara. I hope I didn't cause you too much trouble," she said. Tsumaru gasped and immediately walked up to her.

"You- you can't be Kara! It's impossible!" the tomboy shouted.

"Um… why? I'm Kara. Why can't I be Kara?"

"Stop lying, you little brat!"

"What? I don't understand!" Lloyd came in between them.

"Hey, Tsumaru! Knock it off! Her name's Kara and that's it!" he shouted and backed away. Tsumaru gave her an annoyed glance and backed off.

"Oh yeah, by the way, what are you doing in this dangerous place?" Regal asked her.

"Well, just to tell you, I'm a half-elf. I needed to go visit my mommy who's an elf," she replied sweetly.

"Lies! You're lying!" Tsumaru shouted. Regal restrained her.

"I guess we should take her to Heimdall then," Regal said. Lloyd nodded. Presea took Kara's hand.

"Let's go then," the swordsman said and they made their way to Heimdall.

-Heimdall (Oh, and by the way, it's almost night now in Heimdall. I'm weird and I made the time speed up to fit my story.)-

It was getting dark when the group had just finished introducing themselves to Kara.

"Wow! I'm so happy! I have human friends now! Wait till I tell Mommy!" she cried out in joy.

"Well, talking about your mom. Don't you think you should go to her now?" Colette asked.

"I bet she's worried about you…" Genis said. The little girl nodded.

"I will," she went for the door, "Oh yes, and thank you again!" She then bowed and skipped outside. Regal smiled.

"What a cute girl," he commented. Lloyd nodded in agreement. Tsumaru turned away in disgust. Genis gave her a worried look.

"Are you alright, Tsumaru?" In reply, Tsumaru kept silent. Sheena came back from reserving a room. The rest of them decided to go to their rooms to rest. However, Tsumaru went out the door. _Huh? What's she up to now? _, Genis thought. _Maybe I should follow her. _And so he did.

Tsumaru headed for Ymir Forest, but a guard stopped her.

"Hey, look girl. It's almost evening. It's dangerous if you go out there," he said. Tsumaru gave him an annoyed look.

"Do I look like I care? No!" she protested and continued. Abruptly, Genis was stopped for the same reason.

"I- I'm with her!" he shouted and the guards let him through. The half-elf continued to follow the tomboy. The both of them were long past the guard when Tsumaru halted. She looked around and turned. Genis gasped.

"Why have you been following me?" she asked. The half-elf boy shivered.

"Um… I wanted to see what you were up to," he stammered. Then, there was a noise in one of the bushes. Tsumaru immediately turned around and examined the landscape.

"Who's there? Come out now!" she demanded and a figure came out of the bushes. It was Kara. She had taken out her ribbons and her green hair rested upon her shoulders. She looked much more grown up this way.

"What are you doing here Kara?" Genis asked. Kara smirked at him, but then directed her attention to Tsumaru.

"It's been a long time, Tsumaru. I missed you so much! Why did you leave me to die? You're so mean!" she cried, but Tsumaru paid no attention.

"Shut up! You're not Kara! Kara's dead and she'll be that way forever!" the tomboy shouted.

"Oh, you mean, you don't believe I'm Kara?"

"Never, you brat!" The girl then laughed. It was a shrill laughter that was so horrible it could break windows.

"Good job. You're right. I'm not Kara," she said. Genis gasped and shivered.

"Then, who are you?" he managed to ask.

"I am the Serpent of Hate. Hate, hate, hate. Ah, what a lovely thing it is, right, Tsumaru?" she enticed. Tsumaru backed away.

"I knew you were a Serpent all along…" Tsumaru admitted. Then, the girl transformed. At first, she was just the cute little girl who won everyone's hearts. Then, she became a hideous dragon-looking monster with gigantic fangs.

"Come and fight!"

* * *

A/N: Yea… I'll continue the fight in my next chapter. Well, this chapter was longer and I hope all of you liked it! Please review! 


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